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10 of the Best Home Gifts for 2017

November 22, 2017

Written byCuriosity Staff

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The Curiosity staff works hard all day, but we come home at night, unwind on the couch, and polish up our love letters to Elon Musk just like everybody else. Our homes are our sanctuaries, our caves, and our perfect little escapes from the world outside. Here are our choices for the best ways to make home a little happier.

1. For The Tosser and/or Turner: Gravity Blanket

Sleep is the best. And as we've written, a lack of sleep literally eats your brain. To keep what's left of my brain intact, I want an even better night's sleep. That's why my pick is the weighted Gravity Blanket ($249). I sleep better when I have weight on top of me. Don't ask me why. I've had nights where the proper number of blankets are not on me and I cannot fall asleep. That won't be a problem with the Gravity Blanket. You can have 15-25 pounds pressing down on you all night long, embracing you in a big blanket-to-mattress hug. Plus, you can presumably get super-ripped bench-pressing the blanket off yourself each morning. It ain't cheap, but if it provides the kind of warmth and comfort I expect, it'll be worth every penny. – Ben Bowman

2. For The Obsessed Stargazer: The Night Sky Star Map

The closest we can get to experiencing the epic majesty of outer space is looking at the stars at night. The Night Sky star map ($60+) is something on my holiday wish list. It brings the stars inside your home while adding a customized, personal touch: a map of the stars from a significant night of your life. Hang the night sky from the day you finished grad school or had your first child on your wall, and feel those warm fuzzies over and over. – Joanie Faletto

3. For Superfans of the Mercator Projection: Academia Maps World Map Wall Mural

I'm lucky enough to have 10-foot ceilings in my apartment, and my wife loves maps, so we have a giant world map in our home. When I say "giant," I'm not exaggerating: our Academia Maps world-map wall mural ($271) is 107 inches by 72 inches (259 cm by 69 cm), although smaller and larger sizes are also available.

It's printed on a smooth fabric backed by an adhesive, so all we had to do was line up the 3 panels and we were all set! The material doesn't rip, wrinkle, or tear, and can be pulled apart if it folds over. We also made a few adjustments and it was easy to reposition and remove, without leaving any residue behind. Perfect for apartments! Oh, and you can have fun with it, too: why make your map Euro-centric when you can rearrange the panels to put Asia or the Americas in the center? Learn geography, marvel at our world, and fill an entire wall with color, all at once. – Cody Gough

4. For The Person Who Knows How To Pronounce "Islay": Glencairn Whiskey Glasses

You're wrong, Ben. Sleep is great, but whisky is the best — in moderation, of course. I started getting into scotch whisky (never spell it with an "e" if it's from Scotland) about 6 years ago, and I've never looked back. I just love the depth and breadth of flavors. A light, sweet dram from Speyside is basically the exact opposite of the big, smoky monsters from Islay, but what's really incredible is how many different flavors you can detect from a single glass.

So when I finally start the whisky club I've been talking about for years, I'm going to do it with a set of crystal Glencairn glasses ($33). The tulip shape funnels the whisky's odor up and draws out all of its complex colors. I swear, the stuff practically sparkles gold in the perfectly clear crystal. There's no better way to relax at the end of the day. – Reuben Westmaas

Look, some people decorate their walls with fancy art. Some people put up posters of their favorite movies. You and me, we adorn our homes with our favorite spacecraft. When it comes to Chop Shop's positively gorgeous Historic Spacecraft poster series, the only question is: which one's it gonna be?! Will you tell party guests about the golden record as you gather around a stylish print of the Voyager probe? Will you give a nod to everybody's favorite singing robot with the Curiosity rover? Maybe you'll go ultra old school with a Sputnik design. They all come in screen-print ($55) or giclée ($25+) versions, and many designs are available as T-shirts, too. It is all I can do right now to not empty my wallet and buy the whole series. – Ashley Hamer

6. For The Patio Party Host: LuminAID Wireless Outdoor Illumination

Do you want to have one of those fancy backyard parties you see in the movies? You know, the ones where there are always pretty lights dangling in the background because two will-they-won't-they characters are about to fall in love? Then you're going to want to pick up these sweet backyard lights from LuminAID.

You can select stars or "gems," depending on your decorating preference. They're solar powered and you can change the colors from your phone. The gem design even floats. Want to get fancy? Set up a specific time for them to turn on, so you could get down on one knee at 6:59 p.m. and say, "Jennifer Smith, will you marry me?" and have the lights turn on right at 7:00. (Of course, if she turns you down, that's awkward, but at least your tears will look pretty with the light.) – Ben Bowman

7. For The Tree-Fort Club President: Tentsile Tree Tents

Okay, so Tentsile's futuristic tree tents are technically designed for adventuring in the wilderness — but I think they make some pretty sweet next-generation treehouses for the backyard, myself. Take the Flite+ ($350), for example. Hoist it above the ground and strap it between a few trees, and you've got an amazing hideout that's way more of a luxury hammock than a jury-rigged treehouse. Open the doors to let in the fresh air, or close up the whole thing to keep out bugs and prying eyes. And of course, it's great for camping, too. I'd take sleeping in the trees over getting soggy on the ground any day. Use code "Curious" to get 20% off any tree tent. – Ashley Hamer

8. For The Iced Coffee Addict: Asobu Coldbrew Portable Coffee Maker

I recently made the upgrade from iced coffee to cold brew, and I can't believe I ever lived any other way. Unlike iced coffee, which is brewed hot then chilled, cold brew is steeped in cold water over the course of several hours to cut way back on the acid content. The flavor profile is mellow and nutty, with a dash of cocoa for good measure — honestly, it makes any other brew turn my stomach by comparison. That's why I put this portable cold brew coffeemaker from Asobu ($54.99) toward the top of my list. It makes up to 40 ounces of the good stuff at a time (just enough to support my daily habit), and the double-walled copper with vacuum insulation keeps the coffee frosty all day long. – Reuben Westmaas

9. For The High-Tech Homebody: VEIU Mini Smart Video Doorbell

I've always assumed that because I rent my apartment, I can't hop on the Internet of Things bandwagon. But in fact, there are some really cool gadgets that you don't need a contractor and a hole in your drywall to install. The VEIU Mini Smart Video Doorbell ($149) is one of them: just pair it with its smartphone app, mount it outside your front door, and feel free to watch and communicate with everyone who arrives on your doorstep. It's got a roomy 120-degree field of view, plus infrared night vision for late-night pizza deliveries. Renters can live in the future, too! (Save an additional 20% with the code BFRIDAY20!) – Ashley Hamer

10. For The La Croix Addict: SodaStream

LaCroix is delicious, but after a while, I got sick of buying and hauling a 12-pack of cans back to my apartment as part of every grocery store run. That's when I picked up a SodaStream Sparkling Water Maker ($80), and everything changed. I know why you haven't bought one: you won't feel like going through the hassle of replacing the air cartridge when it's empty, right? Well, my wife used our SodaStream nearly every day for more than a year before we had to refill the canister, and it was a quick and easy swap at our local Bed Bath & Beyond. Other stores make it easy as well. Add a few drops of grapefruit juice or whatever flavor you like to give it your bubbly water some personality, and save hundreds of dollars a year on not buying sparkling beverages. It's incredible. – Cody Gough

BONUS: 2018 Curiosity Calendar

We may be a little biased with this next one, but the 2018 Curiosity calendar is most certainly one of the best home gifts you can give this year! This 365-day calendar is loaded with facts to help you get smarter every day. We're particularly fond of the page for October 19. Grab your calendar for $20 (normally $25) this weekend. — Logan Nolin

Written byCuriosity Staff
November 22, 2017

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